Veolia Transportation Services has announced it had reached a final deal with the Regional Transit Authority and the state Department of Transportation to take control of the river shuttles between Canal Street, Algiers and Chalmette.

Bell Mercadel said a final version of Veolia's contract was not available Friday, but would be released in coming days. She did not say how long the deal would remain in place.

The ferry service has fallen on hard times in recent months after state lawmakers banned the use of bridge fees to subsidize ferries last spring, and voters in Orleans, Jefferson and Plaquemines parishes declined in May to renew the Crescent City Connection tolls.

The DOTD, which took over ferries, slashed the hours of operations dramatically in July. Bell Mercadel said Veolia would consider adding more hours and trips based on the service's popularity.

"We need the community," she said.

The City Council approved a new passenger fares program in August, which will see most users pay about $2 per crossing. Veolia had calculated that the Lower Algiers-Chalmette line costs about $4.8 million a year to run, and the Algiers Point-New Orleans service another $4 million. The state agreed to pay $6 million a year, but officials have argued that the higher fares are needed to cover the $2.8 million annual gap.

Fares must be paid in cash and exact change.

Bell Mercadel said the 50 or so workers running the ferries will eventually become Veolia employees.